Until The Churches Are Full

Last updated on: May 13, 2024 at 10:38 pm By Fr. Nicholas Sheehy, LC

Christian churches in America have a real estate problem. We have more space than people. True leadership drives Catholics and Christians of other denominations together. Still, so much energy goes into battling among the various denominations. While it is important to understand the differences between us, it is even more important to emphasize what unites us. We have “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Eph. 4:5), which is reflected in the ecumenical efforts of recent years to defend basic human... Read more

Growing Love by Degrees: Lessons from a Medieval Monk

Last updated on: May 9, 2024 at 10:37 pm By Fr. Nicholas Sheehy, LC

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That a monk wants to teach us to love clashes with our modern sensitivities. But when the monk was formerly a young nobleman famous for jokes, songs, and parties, our perspective shifts. The young man was so popular that when he decided to knock at the door of the monastery requesting admittance, 30 young noblemen went with him. St. Bernard of Clairvaux is one of the intriguing men to have lived in the 11th century. He grew up in a... Read more

The “Other” Christians: Re-Examining the Reformation

Last updated on: May 8, 2024 at 12:47 pm By Fr. Nicholas Sheehy, LC

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Most Christians accept the Reformation as something necessary. However, it is a great tragedy in the history of Christianity in the West. I am convinced that many Protestants might be surprised if they took a sincere look at the Catholic faith. This has been the case for notable converts such as Scott and Kimberly Hahn; by studying everything from the Church Fathers to the Church’s doctrine on contraception, they became convinced of the beauty and truth of the Catholic faith.... Read more

5 Reasons I Didn’t Become a Protestant

Last updated on: May 6, 2024 at 9:40 am By Fr. Nicholas Sheehy, LC

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Between sophomore and junior year of high school, I transferred from a small Catholic school to a large public school. The faith landscape looked a lot different, and I quickly befriended some of the Evangelical Christians so I would have a safe space for living out my own Christian principles and convictions. I could easily have become a Protestant like them. We shared a lot regarding moral values, but one of my Baptist friends made it his mission to loosen... Read more

New Age Movement and Being Spiritual But Not Religious

Last updated on: April 29, 2024 at 9:11 am By Fr. Nicholas Sheehy, LC

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The New Age Movement is one of the most powerful and surreptitious dangers to Catholics today. Sherry was someone who succumbed to the dangers of the New Age Movement. She had been raised in a Catholic family, received all the sacraments, and had even gone to Catholic school in her K-12 years. However, she never felt a personal connection with Jesus. Sherry had received the sacraments but not the Gospel. It took her until the age of 38 to recognize... Read more

Roots of the Radicalization of the Protestant Reformation

Last updated on: May 6, 2024 at 9:41 am By Fr. Nicholas Sheehy, LC

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What is the difference between Catholicism and Protestant Christianity? To summarize it in one phrase, Catholicism is the Thing against which Protestant Christianity rebels. I have a lot of compassion and admiration for our devout Protestant brothers and sisters. However, the reason I am a Catholic is because I hold a firm conviction that the way they formulate their identity is flawed on a foundational level. It seems unfortunate that they let their identity rest on the fact that they... Read more

Artificial Intelligence, Pope Francis, and the G7

Last updated on: April 26, 2024 at 10:21 pm By Fr. Nicholas Sheehy, LC

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Artificial intelligence is a hot topic and Pope Francis has spoken about it frequently lately. The Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, announced that Pope Francis will participate in the upcoming meeting of the G7 nations to speak about the issue of AI. It might surprise us that the Pope will be speaking there. This will be the first time that a Pope participates in the work of the G7. To justify his presence, Giorgia Meloni cited the example of Pope... Read more

Catholics, Culture, And Community

Last updated on: April 27, 2024 at 10:00 am By Fr. Nicholas Sheehy, LC

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During the Second World War, Karol Wojtyla, the future Pope John Paul II, would gather with friends from university to declaim and act out famous literature to celebrate their Polish heritage. They founded the Rhapsodic Theater as a means of cultural resistance against the Communist regime after the war. The Soviet Union wanted to erase Poland and by clinging on to their heritage and culture, they avoided losing themselves in the myriad of Soviet republics. They had a strong sense... Read more

Upping Your Game at Mass And Living the Offertory

Last updated on: April 25, 2024 at 5:29 pm By Fr. Nicholas Sheehy, LC

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Living the offertory of the Mass as a layperson can be challenging. Do you ever feel that you are just “watching” the Mass and that the priest is the protagonist? If that is your attitude, it becomes far too easy to “zone out” during Mass. It seems hard enough to just get to Mass, and we may ask ourselves, do I really have to pay attention the whole time? I get it – it can be hard just to be... Read more

What Determines A Person’s Worth

Last updated on: April 23, 2024 at 8:47 pm By Fr. Nicholas Sheehy, LC

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By looking at the role of human dignity, Dignitas infinita helps us understand what determines a person’s worth. The recently released document places human dignity as the foundation of what is appropriate and inappropriate human behavior. By doing so, the Church shows herself to be mater et magistra, mother and teacher. Parents do essentially two things for their children. They express unconditional love and instruct on the differences between good and bad behavior. The recent papacies of Pope Benedict XVI... Read more

Which book of the Bible records Paul’s shipwreck?